Spring is in the air on campus, and there are lots of ways to tell:
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- Students are outside, soaking up some vitamin D
- Trees awakening from a winter slumber and exploding with green
- Marmots are out!
All images by Nick Brommer.
Fun facts about marmots
- They are closely related to ground squirrels and prairie dogs. Their scientific name is Marmota flaviventris. (Best said with your pinky in the air. Fancy!)
- Marmots are typically 13 to 20 inches long from head to tail. (When social distancing, leave 4 to 5 marmot lengths between you and others.)
- Marmots are near-sighted. No one has successfully fitted a marmot with corrective lenses.
- Marmots are herbivores: They eat plants, seeds, grass, shrubs, and the really good tortilla chips.
- Marmots are active from March to September. Approximately 60% of their life is spent hibernating. Relatable.
- Approximately 80% of a marmot’s life is spent underground. That basement must have a sweet home entertainment system.
by the Office of Technology
